Have you ever had dinner at a Dutch person’s house? Then you’re one of the lucky ones. The Dutch have a tendency to send people away when it’s time to eat.
If you’ve lived in the Netherlands for a while, you’ve probably experienced it: the characteristic double-slap on the knees, the deep sigh, and then the inevitable “he-he”.
It’s time to go.
What is it?
Visiting a Dutch person can be quite the experience: there’s the birthday calendar in the bathroom, the poop shelf in the toilet, the immense stack of hagelslag in the cupboard and the cheese and bread served all day long.
But most noticeable is how it’s ingrained in Dutch hospitality culture to force their guests to leave just before dinner time. ⏳
READ MORE | Dinner in the Netherlands: traditions, dishes and restaurants
Your Dutch host is likely to show you out in one of two ways:
- Tell you straight up that it’s time for you to leave. They’ll probably say something direct like, “Well, it’s almost dinner time, so it might be time for you to go home soon.”
- Indirectly push you towards the exit while muttering, “Well, it’s 16:30, so I was thinking I should get started on dinner in not too long…”
The second variant is particularly tricky to wrap your head around because to most non-Dutch people, it might sound like they’re inviting you to have dinner with them.
Make no mistake, they’re probably not.
@dutchreview Okay, we can take a hint. #fyp #dutchreview #expat #dutch #nl #dinner ♬ original sound – DutchReview
Why do they do it?
As is well established, the Dutch can be extremely direct. This infamous trait might seem rude, but they steadfastly claim it’s all about being efficient and economical with words.
Sending their guests away before dinner might be just another expression of directness — simply saying or doing exactly what they’re thinking or feeling — for the greater good.
READ MORE | Would you offer your guests dinner? Dutchies don’t, and the internet is mad (!)
Another explanation for the tendency to send people away before they get food might be that the Dutch are great planners.
If you’ve ever visited the Netherlands, you may have noticed everything is well-organised. Last-minute dinner plans might feel just too impractical for the schedule-driven Dutchies.
A final plausible option explaining this behaviour is, of course, the age-old habit of the Dutch being stingy. They’d probably just rather save a few extra pennies than provide extra dinner.
Why is it quirky?
In most cultures, it’s considered rude not to feed your guests. That’s one of the perks of being a guest!
But not in the Netherlands, no (and okay, some Scandinavians do the same thing). Here, it’s perfectly normal to send people off hungry.
@dutchreview Remember that time the Dutch ate their prime minister? #fyp #dutchreview #dutchhistory #dutchfunfacts #crazydutchfacts #netherlands #nederland #holland ♬ original sound – DutchReview
It’s strange, really, that Dutchies don’t keep their guests for dinner since they tend to eat ridiculously early (hello, dinner at 5 PM).
There’s no risk of dinner lasting into the late night when you start that early, so the fear of guests overstaying until late is not particularly present.
Should you join in?
In short, if you want to save every cent you can, you should consider joining in on this quirk.
However, the Netherlands is a very international country, so you might want to reconsider if you’re planning on making any non-Dutch friends.
What do you think of this Dutch quirk? Have you experienced it? Tell us in the comments below!
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by PostX News and is published from a syndicated feed.)
